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10+ Psy War Strategies to Win Your Interviewer’s Favor (Part 1)

2017-10-30 00:00:00

Job interviews are always nerve-racking. You have this internal pressure to ace the interviews and get your dream job which makes you all the more tensed and jumpy. But did you know that rocking job interviews doesn’t only rely on the answers you give out? Swinging it goes way before you step into the building and actually starts in the comforts of your own mind. It’s called psychological warfare.

So here are 10+ science-backed psy-war strategies to make you more confident, competent, likeable, and of course, hirable.

1. Ask for the Tuesday, 10:30 a.m. interview slot. According to Glassdoor, when an interviewer asks for your best time, answer them by giving them their best time. And that is usually around 10:30 a.m. on a Tuesday because that’s when they are relatively relaxed. Earlier than that may mean sorting and cramming of tasks. Way later in the afternoon may make them too excited or preoccupied with to-do’s after work.

Mondays, just like any other employees would feel, is a drag and the need for adjustment on the coming week is needed. Wednesdays and Thursdays may be the peak but that also means that they have already chosen their candidate. Fridays are well, fly days so their focus is somewhere outside work.

2. Dress to project. CareerBuilder conducted a survey to hiring managers and HR professionals. They found out that clothing colors convey distinct impressions. 23% of them recommend wearing blue as they associate it with being a team player; 15% said to wear black to suggest leadership potential; and 25% said orange is the worst because you look unprofessional. If you want to convey that you are logical or analytical, go for gray. If you want to project that you are organized, white is your best bet. If you are dependable, stick with brown. If you want a powerful image, wear red. If you want to showcase your creativityy, choose among green, yellow, orange, or purple.

3. Consider your interviewer’s age. Interviewers have preferences and biases that are greatly influenced by their generational age. In their book "Crazy Good Interviewing," John B. Molidor, Ph.D., and Barbara Parus break down the different generation interviewers and how they want an interviewee to present herself/himself:

Generation Y interviewers (20-30 year-olds): They are attracted to visuals so bring along a portfolio of your work. They also believe in multi-tasking, so highlight that as one of your abilities or strengths.

Generation X interviewers (30-50 year-olds): They want to hear creativity in your talent and how a balanced work-life platform contributes to your success.

Baby Boomer interviewers (50-70 year-olds): They want to see how hard you work and they expect that you show them respect for their achievements.

Silent Generation interviewers (70-90 year-olds): They value loyalty and commitment so be sure to use these keywords and apply them when answering questions.

4. Open your hands or steeple them. According to Molidor and Parus, hand movements give away impressions. They reveal what is going on in your head. Concealing your hands may mean that you are hiding something, while holding it down may mean dominance. So the best way is to show your palms to convey that you are sincere with your answers.

Moreover, folding your arms indicates disappointment or close-mindedness and an overuse of hand gestures are just simply distracting. Tapping your fingers shows that you are impatient but pressing the fingers of both hands to form a church steeple means your are confident.